England appoint Chris Silverwood as new head coach

The 44-year-old, who was England's fast-bowling coach, replaces Trevor Bayliss, whose contract expired at the end of the summer

Chris Silverwood has been announced as England’s new head coach, replacing Trevor Bayliss, who left his role at the end of the summer.

It had been reported during the last week that former India coach Gary Kirsten had become favourite for the post, but that is said to have changed after the interview phase.

Instead, it is Silverwood, who won led Essex to a first County Championship title in 25 years in 2017 – a year after masterminding promotion the previous year, who will take the reins. He will begin immediately, with his first task being England's tour of New Zealand.

The 44-year-old was appointed as England’s fast-bowling coach in October 2017, before taking on a more prominent role in the national team setup after the departure of assistant coach Paul Farbrace to Warwickshire at the start of the summer.

A Yorkshireman, who spent the vast majority of his playing days at Headingley before representing Middlesex at the back end of his career, has been highly thought of by England director of cricket Ashley Giles for some time.

He becomes just the second Englishman to lead the men’s national side in the last 20 years, though Peter Moores held the position on two separate occasions.

Silverwood’s effective promotion from his coaching role with the seamers means that England will have another vacancy to fill.

^{Silverwood led Essex to the County Championship title in 2017}

Giles said: “We are delighted to confirm Chris as England men’s head coach. We have gone through a thorough process and looked at all the options that were available to us. Chris was the standout candidate.

“I believe he is what we need to take our international teams forward. He is somebody we know well, but it is his intimate understanding of our structures and systems and his close relationships with Test captain Joe Root and white-ball captain Eoin Morgan that will help us develop our plans for the next few years.

“He has performed exceptionally well during his role as an assistant coach and has the ultimate respect of the players’ that have worked with him.

“Chris demonstrated in his interview a clear understanding and strategy of how both the red and white ball teams need to evolve. He has some detailed thoughts on what it will take to win the Ashes in Australia and win major ICC white-ball tournaments.

“Over the past couple of years, he has been an integral member of developing the teams’ culture and emerging a cohesive relationship across the team’s management group. 

“Chris cares passionately about how we grow and develop the game through the county network.

His relationships with the first-class game, in particular county coaches and directors of cricket, will be invaluable. Having led Essex to the County Championship title in 2017, his legacy is very much in evidence this campaign, which saw Essex win the domestic double of the Specsavers County Championship and the Vitality Blast.

“Ultimately, his highest quality is that he is a winner and that will be an important part of the job as we look to strive to become the most respected team in the world across all formats.”

Silverwood added: “I am thrilled and honoured to be appointed England head coach. I aim to continue the great work that has been done over the past five years and build on our future, especially in the Test arena.

“I have enjoyed working with the players over the past two seasons, and developing the best crop of talent in the English game.

“I am excited to get started and build teams that the whole game can be proud of. There is a tremendous amount of talent coming through, and there is enormous potential for growth. The hard work starts now, and I am confident we can make a positive impact during our winter tours of New Zealand and South Africa.”